Transfer image recording method and ink

ABSTRACT

In transfer image recording with the use of an intermediate transfer body whose surface on the side where an intermediate image is to be formed has a polyalkylsiloxane structure, an ink is used that contains at least a pigment, water, a water-soluble organic solvent, and a polyether-modified siloxane compound. Good and poor solvents for the polyether-modified siloxane compound are contained as the water-soluble organic solvent. The content of the polyether-modified siloxane compound in the ink is 3% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less based on the total mass of the ink.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a transfer image recording method andan ink used therein.

2. Description of the Related Art

One of known recording methods in which ink jet or similar systems areused is transfer image recording. A transfer image recording methodincludes applying ink to an intermediate transfer body to form anintermediate image (intermediate-image formation) and pressing theintermediate transfer body against a recording medium to transfer theintermediate image to the recording medium (image transfer).

In such an image recording method, the intermediate transfer body ispreferably made of a material that has a low surface energy and fromwhich an intermediate image can be easily released because it isdesirable that the intermediate image formed on the intermediatetransfer body be efficiently transferred from the intermediate transferbody to the recording medium.

In general, however, applying ink droplets with a high water content toan intermediate transfer body made of a low-surface-energy material mayfail to form the intended intermediate image because the droplets may berepelled on the intermediate transfer body. As a solution to this,Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-200200 discloses a method in which suchrepelling of ink on an intermediate transfer body made of alow-surface-energy material is prevented, and this method includesadding a combination of two selected surfactants to ink. Japanese PatentLaid-Open No. 7-256873 discloses a method in which a transfer medium iscoated with a surfactant first and then ink is applied so that repellingof ink on an intermediate transfer body should be prevented. JapanesePatent Laid-Open No. 6-219039 discloses an ink for transfer ink jetrecording that contains an oil-in-water emulsion and a surfactant. Theoil-in-water emulsion is for the purpose of forming a release layer forthe intermediate image, and the surfactant is for stabilizing theemulsion in the ink and preventing the ink from being repelled orflowing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An image recording method according to an aspect of the inventionincludes:

applying ink to an intermediate transfer body to form an intermediateimage (intermediate-image formation); and transferring the intermediateimage to a recording medium (image transfer).

The intermediate transfer body has a polyalkylsiloxane structure on thesurface where the intermediate image is to be formed.

The ink contains a pigment, water, a water-soluble organic solvent, anda polyether-modified siloxane compound.

The water-soluble organic solvent contains a good solvent for thepolyether-modified siloxane compound and a poor solvent for thepolyether-modified siloxane compound.

The content of the polyether-modified siloxane compound in the ink is 3%by mass or more and 20% by mass or less based on the total mass of theink.

An ink according to an aspect of the invention is used in an imagerecording method that includes:

applying the ink to an intermediate transfer body to form anintermediate image, the intermediate transfer body having apolyalkylsiloxane structure on the surface on which the intermediateimage is formed (intermediate-image formation); and transferring theintermediate image to a recording medium (image transfer).

The ink contains a pigment, water, a water-soluble organic solvent, anda polyether-modified siloxane compound.

The water-soluble organic solvent contains a good solvent for thepolyether-modified siloxane compound and a poor solvent for thepolyether-modified siloxane compound.

The content of the polyether-modified siloxane compound in the ink is 3%by mass or more and 20% by mass or less based on the total mass of theink.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing description of exemplary embodiments with reference to theattached drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The FIGURE is a schematic view of a recording apparatus that can be usedin a transfer image recording method according to an aspect of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

As stated above, in a transfer image recording method in which anintermediate transfer body made of a low-surface-energy material isused, it is required to prevent problems associated with ink droplets onthe intermediate transfer body, such as unwanted repelling and flow.Such problems are prevented by the addition of a surfactant to the inkin Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 6-200200 and 6-219039 and by coatingthe intermediate transfer body with a surfactant in advance of theformation of the intermediate image in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.7-256873. In order for the recorded image to be of high quality,however, it is needed not only to prevent the aforementioned repellingand flow of ink droplets but also to ensure that the spread and theshape of the ink dots at the formation of the intermediate image aresuch that the high quality can be achieved. From the viewpoint ofefficient use of ink, furthermore, it is necessary to satisfy the aboveperformance requirement with as little ink as possible.

As for the material used to make the intermediate transfer body,polyalkylsiloxanes, which are low-surface-energy materials, areparticularly preferred for easier release of the intermediate image.

However, the inventors found through research that recording an imageusing a polyalkylsiloxane-based intermediate transfer body in thetransfer image recording methods described in the above publicationsfailed in some cases to provide a good-quality intermediate image in aconsistent manner. This was presumably because insufficient spread ofink-dot diameter or distorted shapes of ink dots on the intermediatetransfer body made the intermediate image vary in quality. The abovepublications do not disclose any means for solving such a technicalproblem.

More specifically, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-200200 focuses onimage deformation due to repelling and flow of ink droplets on anintermediate transfer body, but does not mention how to control thespread of the dot diameter and the dot shape of the ink. Adding asurfactant to prevent ink droplets from being repelled or flowing as inJapanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-200200 leads to insufficient spread ofdot diameter and probably needs additional measures such as increasingthe volume of ink applied. This means that the method disclosed inJapanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-200200 may fail to fulfill the purposeof reducing the volume of ink applied.

Applying a surfactant to an intermediate transfer body as in JapanesePatent Laid-Open No. 7-256873 causes the surfactant to be repelled onthe transfer medium and scattered and thus can fail to apply thesurfactant evenly on the transfer medium. Trying to produce a single dotor a fine image in such a situation can make the resulting image vary inquality because some amount of the ink does not make contact with thesurfactant on the transfer medium and this causes reduced dot size ordistortion.

An example in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-219039 describes an inkfor transfer ink jet recording that contains a silicone surfactant. Thispublication, however, does not mention how the spread and the shape ofink dots can be controlled when this ink is used. Furthermore, applyingthe silicone-surfactant-containing ink disclosed in this publication toa polyalkylsiloxane-based intermediate transfer body results ininsufficient spread of ink-dot diameter during the formation of theintermediate image, necessitating increasing the volume of ink applied.

An aspect of the invention therefore provides a transfer image recordingmethod by which a high-quality image, i.e., an image with sufficientspread of ink-dot diameter and a uniform dot shape, can be obtained evenwith a small volume of ink applied. Another aspect of the inventionprovides an ink used in this method.

An ink composition (hereinafter simply referred to as “ink”) accordingto an embodiment of the invention is an ink for image recording with anintermediate transfer body whose surface on the side where anintermediate image is to be formed is a release surface that has asurface polyalkylsiloxane structure. The ink contains a pigment, water,a water-soluble organic solvent, and a polyether-modified siloxanecompound. As the water-soluble organic solvent, at least onewater-soluble organic solvent as a good solvent for thepolyether-modified siloxane compound and at least one water-solubleorganic solvent as a poor solvent are contained. The content of thepolyether-modified siloxane compound is selected to be 3% by mass ormore and 20% by mass or less.

Forming an intermediate image on the release surface of the intermediatetransfer body, the release surface having a surface polyalkylsiloxanestructure, by using an ink according to an embodiment of the inventionthat has the above composition prevents ink droplets from being repelledor flowing and also leads to good spread and a good shape of ink dots.An aspect of the invention therefore brings the above advantages withoutneeding any means that ensures good spread of ink dots by increasing thevolume of ink applied to the intermediate transfer body.

The inventors presume that the reason why an ink according to an aspectof the invention has the above advantages can be as follows.

A polyether-modified siloxane compound is a surface active substancethat has a hydrophilic polyether chain and a hydrophobic siloxanestructure. Adding some amount of a polyether-modified siloxane compound,an amount larger than a certain threshold, to an ink with a high watercontent causes the polyether-modified siloxane compound to form amicelle structure in water with the hydrophilic chain facing outward.Adding both a water-soluble organic solvent that is a good solvent forthe polyether-modified siloxane compound and a water-soluble organicsolvent that is a poor solvent to such a micelle structure probablyleads to each solvent working as follows.

The poor solvent, which has a low affinity with the polyether-modifiedsiloxane compound existing in water, acts to destabilize the micellestructure of the polyether-modified siloxane compound, although hydrogenbonds have stabilized the micelle structure. Applying an ink thatcontains a polyether-modified siloxane compound in such an unstablestate to silicone rubber, which is a low-surface-energy material, causesthe polyether-modified siloxane compound to be selectively oriented tothe surface of the silicone rubber to be in a more stable state. Thepoor solvent therefore presumably works in such a way that ink dropletsbecome more easily wet the silicone rubber. As a result, presumably,unwanted repelling and flow of the ink on the silicone rubber areprevented.

The good solvent presumably works in such a way that the good solvent beadsorbed onto the hydrophilic chain of the polyether-modified siloxanecompound oriented to the surface of the low-surface-energy siliconerubber and form a stable solid-liquid interface.

If the content of the good solvent in the ink is too large, the increasein ink-dot diameter may be insufficient because the micelles formed bythe polyether-modified siloxane compound are stable and the rate ofadsorption of the polyether-modified siloxane compound onto the siliconerubber is slow. If the content of the poor solvent in the ink is toolarge, however, then it also leads to insufficient increase in ink-dotdiameter because the polyether-modified siloxane compound oriented tothe surface of the silicone rubber cannot be easily adsorbed and fixedin a stable manner. Ensuring that the ratio between the good solvent andthe poor solvent is in the particular range specified below thereforeallows the diameter of ink dots on the silicone rubber to sufficientlyincrease even with a small volume of ink applied.

The following describes the individual components of an ink according toan embodiment of the invention.

The poor solvent and the good solvent used herein are first described. Awater-soluble organic solvent is defined as a good solvent if thedispersion stability of the polyether-modified siloxane compound in thesolvent is good, and as a poor solvent if this dispersion stability ispoor. Further details are provided in a later section.

In certain aspects of the invention, focus is placed on water-solubleorganic solvents contained in an aqueous ink. What characterizes certainaspects of the invention is that water-soluble organic solvents aregrouped into poor solvents and good solvents according to the solubilityof the polyether-modified siloxane compound and that the composition ofthe ink is designed with the ratio between a poor solvent and a goodsolvent in the aqueous ink adjusted to fall within a particular range.The use of such a configuration brings a significant advantage: Ahigh-quality printed material can be obtained even with a small volumeof ink applied with respect to the surface of an intermediate transferbody on which an intermediate image is formed. Certain aspects of theinvention were completed with the discovery of these novel configurationand advantages of an ink for transfer image recording.

Ink for Transfer Image Recording

Polyether-Modified Siloxane Compound

An ink according to an embodiment of the invention, which has anexcellent affinity with polyalkylsiloxanes, contains apolyether-modified siloxane compound, which has a siloxane structure inthe molecular structure like polyalkylsiloxanes and also has a polyetherchain for providing hydrophilicity. When droplets of the ink are appliedto the surface of an intermediate transfer body on which an intermediateimage is to be formed (hereinafter referred to as “the intermediateimage formation surface”), ink dots are formed, and the aforementionedorientation of the polyether-modified siloxane compound sequentiallyoccurs in the direction of the spread of the ink dots on theintermediate image formation surface. In the edge portion of the inkdots, the polyether-modified siloxane compound is sequentially suppliedout of the ink to the intermediate image formation surface. This makesthe ink dots more easily expand in diameter and ensures good spread anda good shape of the ink dots.

If the content of the polyether-modified siloxane compound is too small,then the amount of the polyether-modified siloxane compound that forms amicelle structure in the aqueous ink is small. As a result, the amountof the polyether-modified siloxane compound that is oriented toward thesurface of the intermediate transfer body is substantially small. Thespread of ink-dot diameter will be insufficient once the supply to theedge portion of the expanding ink dots is inadequate. If the content ofthe polyether-modified siloxane compound is too large, it may bedifficult to discharge the ink from an ink jet apparatus. It is thuspreferred that the content of the polyether-modified siloxane compoundbe 3% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less based on the total mass ofthe ink. More preferably, the content of the polyether-modified siloxanecompound is 9% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less based on thetotal mass of the ink in order that particularly good spread in ink-dotdiameter and a particularly good shape of ink dots can be obtained.

Depending on the composition of the ink, increasing the quantity of theink that makes up the ink droplets applied to the intermediate transferbody may lead to sufficient spread of ink dots. In certain aspects ofthe invention, adding both a poor solvent and a good solvent for thepolyether-modified siloxane compound in combination to the ink, ratherthan increasing the quantity of the ink that makes up such ink dropletsto ensure sufficient spread of ink dots, brings the intended advantages.Certain aspects of the invention therefore allow the user to form ahigh-quality intermediate image even with a minimum amount of inkapplied.

The polyether-modified siloxane compound can be, in particular, asiloxane compound that has a structure based on a polyether-containinghydrophilic siloxane unit and a hydrophobic siloxane unit. The presenceof a hydrophilic unit and a hydrophobic unit provides the siloxanecompound with surface activity. Examples of polyether-modified siloxanecompounds that have such a structure include those having a polyetherchain in a side chain (side-chain polyether-modified siloxanecompounds), those having a polyether chain in the main chain (main-chainpolyether-modified siloxane compounds), and structures that have both.In particular, side-chain polyether-modified siloxane compoundsrepresented by general formula (1), having a polyether chain in a sidechain, are extremely preferred:

(where R¹ to R⁴ and R⁶ to R¹¹ independently represent hydrogen or amonovalent organic group, R⁵ represents a divalent organic group, x, y,and “a” independently represent an integer of at least 1, and z and bindependently represent an integer of at least 0).

The unit (C₂H₄O) in a side-chain polyether-modified siloxane compound ofgeneral formula (1) represents an ethylene oxide unit, and (C₃H₆O)represents a propylene oxide unit. The ethylene oxide units and thepropylene oxide units in a side-chain polyether-modified siloxanecompound used in an embodiment of the invention can be present in anyform, e.g., a random form or a block form. A random form of the unitsmeans that the ethylene oxide units and the propylene oxide units arearranged irregularly, whereas a block form of the units means thatblocks each made up of a number of units of either kind are arrangedregularly.

The groups R¹ to R⁴ and R⁶ to R¹¹ are preferably monovalent hydrocarbongroups, more preferably linear or branched alkyl groups that contain 1or more and 10 or less carbon atoms, in particular, methyl groups. Thegroup R⁵ is preferably a linear or branched alkylene group that contains1 or more and 10 or less carbon atoms, in particular, one of groups suchas ethylene, propylene, and butylene. The group R⁶ is preferably alinear or branched alkyl group that contains 1 or more and 10 or lesscarbon atoms, in particular, an ethyl group or a propyl group. Theinteger x is preferably 1 or more and 500 or less, more preferably 1 ormore and 100 or less, in particular 1 or more and 10 or less. Theinteger y is preferably 1 or more and 100 or less, more preferably 1 ormore and 50 or less. The integer z is preferably 0 or more and 500 orless, more preferably 0 or more and 100 or less, in particular 0 or moreand 10 or less. The integer “a” is preferably 1 or more and 500 or less,more preferably 1 or more and 100 or less. The integer b is preferably 0or more and 500 or less, more preferably 0 or more and 100 or less.

Such a compound represented by general formula (1) preferably has aweight-average molecular weight of 100,000 or less, more preferably10,000 or less. A preferred lower limit for this weight-averagemolecular weight is 500. This weight-average molecular weight is apolystyrene-equivalent weight-average molecular weight in a molecularweight distribution measured by gel permeation chromatography. Acompound of general formula (1) used in an embodiment of the inventionis usually a mixture of multiple compounds with different molecularweights, and the molecular weight thereof is determined as an averagemolecular weight.

Specific examples of side-chain polyether-modified siloxane compounds ofgeneral formula (1) include BYK347, BYK348, BYK349, BYK331, and BYK307(trade names, BYK Japan KK).

Such a side-chain polyether-modified siloxane compound, which has somedegree of hydrophilicity because of the presence of a polyether chain ina side chain, does not have to be soluble in water because the state ofdispersion of a polyether-modified siloxane compound in solvent greatlyvaries according to factors such as the kind of the solvents added andthe solvent proportions. In particular, the use of a water-solubleorganic solvent probably leads to a micelle state of thepolyether-modified siloxane compound being formed in a mixture of waterand the water-soluble organic solvent. The minimum requirement istherefore that the polyether-modified siloxane compound achieve adispersion state in water without separating out or settling down.

Water and a Water-Soluble Organic Solvent

A liquid medium for an ink according to an embodiment of the inventionis a mixture of water and a water-soluble organic solvent. Thiswater-soluble organic solvent can be a known water-soluble organicsolvent. Specific examples include, but are not limited to, glycerin,ethanol, methanol, 2-propanol, 2-pyrrolidone, hexylene glycol,diethylene glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, and 1,5-pentanediol. The content ofthe water-soluble organic solvent can be 10% by mass or more and 60% bymass or less based on the total mass of the ink.

As another water-soluble organic solvent, a mixture of at least one goodsolvent, in which the solubility of the polyether-modified siloxanecompound is high, and at least one poor solvent, in which the solubilityof the siloxane compound is low, is used.

In certain aspects of the invention, water-soluble organic solvents inwhich the solubility of the polyether-modified siloxane compound is loware defined as poor solvents, and water-soluble organic solvents inwhich the solubility of the polyether-modified siloxane compound is highare defined as good solvents. More specifically, the method describedbelow can be used to determine whether a certain water-soluble organicsolvent is a poor solvent or a good solvent.

Method for Determining Whether a Solvent is a Good Solvent or a PoorSolvent

A polyether-modified siloxane compound is added dropwise to thewater-soluble organic solvent of interest in such a manner that thesiloxane compound should constitute 25% by mass of the total mass. Theliquid is tightly sealed and left at room temperature for 1 day. Thenthe state of the liquid is compared to that of the water-soluble organicsolvent observed before the addition of the siloxane compound. If theliquid is turbid or contains an oily substance or a precipitate, thewater-soluble organic solvent is a poor solvent. If no particularchanges have occurred in the liquid, the water-soluble organic solventis a good solvent. As for the criteria for a good solvent, judgment canbe made by the measurement of turbidity with the use of atransmittance/haze meter.

The mass ratio between the good solvent and the poor solvent can beselected as appropriate according to factors such as the kind of thesolvents and the polyether-modified siloxane compound as long as theintended advantages of certain aspects of the invention are ensured.

Preferably, the ratio between the poor solvent and the good solvent(poor solvent/good solvent) is 95/5 or more and 20/80 or less on a massbasis. It is therefore preferred that the content of the poor solvent be0.25 times or more and 19 times or less of the content of the goodsolvent on a mass basis. Ensuring that the mass ratio is in this rangeeffectively improves the wetting of the ink on the intermediate imageformation surface of the intermediate transfer body, the intermediateimage formation surface having a polyalkylsiloxane structure. If theproportion of the good solvent exceeds 80% by mass of the total contentof the poor solvent and the good solvent, the micelle structure of thepolyether-modified siloxane compound in the ink is more stable than inother cases, which can lead to reduced ability of the polyether-modifiedsiloxane compound to be adsorbed onto the intermediate transfer body. Ifthe proportion of the poor solvent exceeds 95% by mass of the totalcontent of the poor solvent and the good solvent, the polyether-modifiedsiloxane compound in the ink can separate out and form a precipitate.More preferably, the ratio between the poor solvent and the good solvent(poor solvent/good solvent) is 80/20 or more and 30/70 or less on a massbasis.

The content of the poor solvent relative to the total mass of the inkcan be 0.2 times or more and 1.8 times or less of the content of thepolyether-modified siloxane compound on a mass basis.

The water used in the ink can be deionized water. The proportion ofwater in the total mass of the ink can be selected to be 30% by mass ormore and 95% by mass or less according to the content ratios of thecomponents other than water, although not limited to this range.

Pigment

An ink according to an embodiment of the invention contains a pigment.Examples of pigments that can be used in an embodiment of the inventioninclude all pigments, such as known black pigments and known organicpigments. More specifically, pigments represented by C.I. (color index)numbers can be used. A black pigment that can be used is carbon black.The content of the pigment in the ink is preferably 0.5% by mass or moreand 15.0% by mass or less, more preferably 1.0% by mass or more and10.0% by mass or less based on the total mass of the ink. One or acombination of two or more pigments can be used as necessary.

Dispersant

The ink may contain a dispersant that allows the pigment to bedispersed. All dispersants that are used to disperse pigments or similarmaterials in aqueous inks can be used. For example, one or a combinationof two or more known dispersants for inks for ink jet can be used.

In an embodiment of the invention, water-soluble dispersants that haveboth a hydrophilic moiety and a hydrophobic moiety in the structure canbe used. In particular, it is possible to use a pigment dispersant basedon a polymer obtained by the copolymerization of monomers including atleast a hydrophilic one and a hydrophobic one. The monomers used forthis purpose can be of any kind and can be selected from known monomersfor dispersants. Specific examples of hydrophobic monomers includestyrene, styrene derivatives, alkyl (meth)acrylates, and benzyl(meth)acrylates, and one or a combination of two or more such monomerscan be used. Examples of hydrophilic monomers include acrylic acid,methacrylic acid, and maleic acid, and one or a combination of two ormore such monomers can be used.

The acid value of such a dispersant can be 50 mg KOH/g or more and 550mg KOH/g or more. The weight-average molecular weight of such adispersant can be 1000 or more and 50000 or less. The ratio between thepigment and such a dispersant (on a mass basis) can be 1:0.1 or more and1:3 or less.

Self-dispersion pigments, i.e., pigments that are dispersible in theaqueous medium in the ink without dispersants as a result of surfacemodification, can also be used in an embodiment of the invention.

Polymer Particles

An ink according to an embodiment of the invention may contain variousparticles in addition to the pigment. Such particles are not involved inthe coloring of the ink and can be added to the ink in order that theappearance and fixation of images can be improved. Such particles can bemade of any material. In particular, polymer particles improve the imagequality and the fixation of image more effectively than other kinds ofparticles.

Examples of materials for polymer particles that can be used in anembodiment of the invention include appropriate known polymers. Specificexamples include homopolymers such as polyolefins, polystyrene,polyurethane, polyester, polyethers, polyurea, polyamides, polyvinylalcohol, poly(meth)acrylic acid and poly(meth)acrylic acid salts,polyalkyl (meth)acrylates, and polydienes and copolymers that arecombinations of two or more such homopolymers. The mass-averagemolecular weight of a polymer contained in such polymer particles can be1,000 or more and 2,000,000 or less. The content of such polymerparticles in the ink is preferably 1% by mass or more and 50% by mass orless, more preferably 2% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less.

In an embodiment of the invention, such polymer particles can be used inthe form of polymer-particle dispersion, i.e., polymer particlesdispersed in a liquid. Such a dispersion can be prepared by anydispersion technique. For example, what are called self-dispersionpolymer-particle dispersions, i.e., dispersions prepared by dispersing apolymer obtained by the polymerization of a monomer that has adissociative group or the copolymerization of two or more such monomers,can be used. Examples of dissociative groups include carboxyl, sulfonicacid, and phosphoric acid groups. Examples of monomers that have adissociative group include acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, and one ora combination of two or more such monomers can be used. What are calledemulsification-dispersion polymer-particle dispersions, i.e., polymerparticles dispersed with the use of an emulsifier, can also be used inan embodiment of the invention. Examples of emulsifiers that can be usedfor this purpose include known low-molecular-weight andhigh-molecular-weight surfactants. Such a surfactant can be a nonionicone or a surfactant that has the same electric charge as the polymerparticles.

A polymer-particle dispersant that can be used in an embodiment of theinvention desirably has a particle diameter of 10 nm or more and 1000 nmor less. It is more desirable that this particle diameter be 30 nm ormore and 500 nm or less.

It is also possible to prepare such a polymer-particle dispersant withadditives for stabilization purposes. Examples of additives that can beused include n-hexadecane, dodecyl methacrylate, stearyl methacrylate,chlorobenzene, dodecyl mercaptan, olive oil, blue dyes (Blue 70), andpolymethyl methacrylate. One or a combination of two or more suchadditives can be used.

Intermediate Transfer Body

The intermediate transfer body has an intermediate image formationsurface, on which an intermediate image can be formed and from which theintermediate image can be transferred to a recording medium. Thisintermediate image formation surface has a polyalkylsiloxane structurethat allows the intermediate image to be released. The intermediatetransfer body has a mechanical strength such that the amount of forcerequired during the use thereof can be transmitted. The intermediatetransfer body may be totally made of the same material or may have asupporting member that provides such a mechanical strength and a surfacemember that has the intermediate image formation surface.

Examples of the shape of the intermediate transfer body include a sheetshape, a roller shape, a drum shape, a belt shape, and an endless-webshape.

The use of an endless-web-structured intermediate transfer body, such asa drum-shaped or belt-shaped one, allows for the continuous and repeateduse of a single intermediate transfer body and is highly advantageous inrespect of productivity. The size of the intermediate transfer body canbe selected as appropriate for the intended size of the image to beprinted.

When the intermediate transfer body has a supporting member, thesupporting member should have a structural strength deemed necessaryfrom the viewpoints of the conveyance accuracy and the durability of theintermediate transfer body. If a material that has a surfacepolyalkylsiloxane structure satisfies such a structural strengthrequirement, the internal transfer body can be totally made of thismaterial having a surface polyalkylsiloxane structure.

It is also possible to use an intermediate transfer body that has asupporting member made of a material that has such a structural strengthand a surface section made of a material that has a surfacepolyalkylsiloxane structure, with the surface section on the supportingmember. Examples of materials for a supporting member used for suchpurposes include metals, ceramics, and polymers. A composite materialthat contains two or more such materials can also be used as a materialfor such a supporting member. In particular, the following materials canbe used because of the rigidity that allows the intermediate transferbody to withstand the pressure applied during the transfer of theintermediate image, dimensional accuracy, and characteristics needed forreduced operational inertia and improved responsiveness to control:aluminum, iron, stainless steel, acetal polymers, epoxy polymers,polyimides, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon,polyurethane, silica ceramics, and alumina ceramics. Combinations ofthese materials can also be used.

The intermediate image formation surface of the intermediate transferbody can have some degree of elasticity so that the intermediate imagecan be transferred to the recording medium, such as paper, by pressing.For example, when the recording medium is paper, the hardness of asurface section that provides the intermediate image formation surfaceis preferably in the range of 10° to 100°, more preferably 20° to 60°,as measured with the use of a type-A durometer (JIS K6253-compliant).

A compound that contains a polyalkylsiloxane structure can be used as amaterial for the intermediate image formation surface. Thepolyalkylsiloxane structure refers to a siloxane skeleton that containsan alkyl group in the structure. The alkyl group can be a group selectedfrom organic groups that have 1 to 20 carbon atoms, in particular. To beused as a material for the intermediate image formation surface, theaforementioned compound may have release properties. Hence thepolyalkylsiloxane structure can be a structure that has at least one ofmethyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl groups. A compound can be chosen thathas hardness and elastic modulus parameters that match the number oftimes the intermediate transfer body will be used repeatedly and thepressure applied to the transfer body during image transfer.

In particular, silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, phenyl siliconerubber, and siloxane compounds such as condensation products ofhydrolyzable organosilicon compounds are suitable for use as such apolyalkylsiloxane-structure-containing compound in respect of therelease of the intermediate image for transfer to the recording mediumand the durability of the intermediate image formation surface alone. Itis possible to use a combination of two or more such materials asnecessary.

When the intermediate transfer body has a surface section that providesthe intermediate image formation surface, the surface section may havean outermost layer that provides the surface having a polyalkylsiloxanestructure and at least one layer made of a different material beneaththe outermost layer. For example, a multilayer material composed of apolyurethane belt and a thin coating of silicone rubber can be used.

Furthermore, an adhesive material or double-sided tape may be disposedbetween a surface section and a supporting member so that thesecomponents should remain fixed to each other.

Reaction Solution

It is also possible to apply a reaction solution capable of undergoingaggregation reaction with the ink to the intermediate image formationsurface of the intermediate transfer body beforehand in order toincrease the viscosity of the ink to be applied to the intermediatetransfer body and to stabilize the intermediate image and make theintermediate image easier to transfer.

Such a reaction solution contains an ink viscosity increasing component.An increased viscosity of the ink means that contact between the ink andthe ink viscosity increasing component has noticeably increased theviscosity of the entire ink as well as a local increase in viscosity dueto aggregation of a portion of the ink composition, e.g., the pigmentused as a coloring material. Adding a viscosity increasing component tothe ink reduces the fluidity of the ink on the intermediate transferbody, thereby reducing bleeding, i.e., mixing of ink dots appliedadjacent to each other, and beading, i.e., attraction of ink dots thatreach the substrate first to ink dots that follow. Such an ink viscosityincreasing component can be of any kind, such as a metal ion or apolymer coagulant, preferably a substance that makes the ink aggregateby causing a change in the pH of the ink, more preferably an organicacid.

Examples of organic acids include oxalic acid, polyacrylic acid, formicacid, acetic acid, propionic acid, glycolic acid, malonic acid, malicacid, maleic acid, ascorbic acid, levulinic acid, succinic acid,glutaric acid, glutamic acid, fumaric acid, citric acid, tartaric acid,lactic acid, pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, pyrone carboxylic acid,pyrrole carboxylic acid, furan carboxylic acid, pyridine carboxylicacid, coumaric acid, thiophene carboxylic acid, nicotinic acid,oxysuccinic acid, and dioxysuccinic acid. One or a combination of two ormore such organic acids can be used.

Such a reaction solution can also contain polymers for easier imagetransfer and improved fastness of the finished image. Adding a polymerwill lead to good adherence of the transferred intermediate image to therecording medium and enhanced mechanical strength of ink coatings. Somepolymers may additionally improve the water resistance of the image. Allpolymeric materials can be used that can coexist with the ink viscosityincreasing component in the reaction solution and have theaforementioned intended functions. It is also possible to use a polymerthat forms cross-links with a component contained in the ink throughreaction with that component. Such polymers may be dissolved in thesolvent of the reaction solution or added in the form of an emulsion ora suspension.

Furthermore, it is possible to add a surfactant to such a reactionsolution to adjust the surface tension of the solution as appropriatebefore use.

Application of the Reaction Solution

When such a reaction solution is used, the reaction solution can beapplied to the surface of the intermediate transfer body by appropriateknown techniques. Examples include die coating, blade coating,techniques in which gravure rollers are used, techniques in which offsetrollers are used, and spray coating. Ink jet apparatuses can also beused to apply the reaction solution. It is also possible to combine twoor more different techniques.

Then to the surface of the intermediate transfer body, to which thereaction solution has been applied, the ink is applied with the use ofan ink jet apparatus to form an image. For the sake of convenience, theimage formed on the intermediate transfer body is referred to as an“intermediate image” until transfer to the final recording medium.

Image Formation

Examples of the mode of ink ejection of ink jet apparatuses that can beused in an embodiment of the invention include the following:

-   -   An electrothermal transducer is used to induce film boiling in        the ink, and the resulting air bubbles are used to eject the        ink;    -   An electromechanical transducer is used to eject the ink; and    -   Static electricity is used to eject the ink.

The ink jet apparatus used to form the intermediate image may have anystructure that allows an ink according to an embodiment of the inventionto form the intermediate image. In particular, the use of an apparatusthat ejects ink with the use of an electromechanical transducer allows ahigh-density image to be formed at a high speed.

Furthermore, the mode of operation of the ink discharge head of the inkjet apparatus is not limited. The ink discharge head can be an ink jethead that is called a shuttle head, which forms the intermediate imagewhile moving the head in the direction perpendicular to the direction ofthe travel of the intermediate transfer body, and can also be an ink jethead that is called a line head, which has ink ejection openingsarranged in a line roughly perpendicular to the direction of the travelof the intermediate transfer body (i.e., roughly parallel to the axialdirection for a drum-shaped intermediate transfer body).

Moisture Removal

The intermediate image on the intermediate transfer body may besubjected to a treatment for reducing the liquid content. Excessiveliquid in the intermediate image can cause problems with the appearanceof the finished image or incomplete transfer of the image as a result ofthe surplus liquid being squeezed or spilled out during image transfer.Various techniques can be used to do this moisture removal. Example oftechniques that can be used include those in which the intermediateimage is heated, those in which low-humidity air is blown, those inwhich the intermediate image is placed under reduced pressure, those inwhich the intermediate image comes into contact with an absorbent, andcombinations of such techniques. It is also possible to remove moisturefrom the intermediate image by air-drying the image from the completionof the formation of the intermediate image to the transfer of the imageto the recording medium.

Image Transfer

The pressing of the intermediate transfer body against the recordingmedium can be done by any method. Pressing the intermediate transferbody and the recording medium from both sides with a pressure rollerallows the image to be efficiently transferred. Pressing thesecomponents in multiple steps can be effective in reducing the degree ofincomplete transfer.

Cleaning

Although no further operations are needed to finish recording the image,the intermediate transfer body may be used repeatedly and continuouslyfrom the viewpoint of productivity, and in such cases it is possible toclean and regenerate the surface of the intermediate transfer bodybefore the next time when an image is recorded. Various techniques canbe used to carry out this cleaning and regeneration. Examples oftechniques that can be used include those in which a shower of cleaningliquid is applied, those in which the intermediate transfer body iswiped with a wet molleton-covered roller abutted on the surface thereof,those in which the intermediate transfer body comes into contact withthe surface of a cleaning liquid, those in which the intermediatetransfer body is scraped with a wiper blade, and those in which kinds ofenergy are applied. Naturally, combinations of two or more suchtechniques can also be used.

Fixation

In addition to the foregoing, the recorded article that has thetransferred intermediate image may be pressed with a roller so that theimage can be more firmly fixed to the recording medium in the recordedarticle. Heating the recorded article may also improve the fixation ofthe image. Naturally, it is also possible to carry out these treatmentssimultaneously by using a heating roller.

Transfer Ink Jet Recording Apparatus

The FIGURE illustrates an example of an apparatus that can be used in atransfer image recording method according to an embodiment of theinvention. The FIGURE is a schematic diagram in which the structure of atransfer ink jet recording apparatus that has a drum-shaped intermediatetransfer body is illustrated in a cross section perpendicular to theaxial direction of the drum. The structure of this apparatus includes aroller-based applicator 14, an ink jet device 15, an air blower 16, aheater 17, a pressure roller 19, and a cleaning unit 20 arranged in thisorder around the drum-shaped intermediate transfer body in the directionof the rotation of the intermediate transfer body.

A transfer ink jet recording method in which this apparatus is usedincludes applying ink with the ink jet device selectively to theintermediate transfer body, to which a reaction solution has beenapplied, to form an intermediate image (intermediate-image formation);and transferring the intermediate image to a recording medium bypressing the intermediate transfer body on which the intermediate imagehas been formed against the recording medium (image transfer).

The intermediate transfer body in the apparatus illustrated in theFIGURE has a rotatable drum-shaped supporting member 12 and a surfacemember 11 on the outer surface of the supporting member 12. Thesupporting member 12 is driven to rotate around an axis 13 in thedirection of the arrow, and the surrounding devices operatesynchronously with the rotation of the supporting member 12.

The supporting member 12 of the intermediate transfer body in thisstructure is a cylindrical drum made of an aluminum alloy because of therigidity that allows the intermediate transfer body to withstand thepressure applied during image transfer, dimensional accuracy, andcharacteristics needed for purposes such as reduced rotational inertiaand improved responsiveness to control. The surface member 11 is made ofa material that contains a compound that has a polyalkylsiloxanestructure.

The roller-based applicator 14 is provided as a device that applies areaction solution. In this structure, therefore, the reaction solutionis continuously applied to the surface of the intermediate transferbody.

The ink jet device 15 is an ink jet head of the line-head type thatdischarges the ink on demand with the use of an electrothermaltransducing element and has ink jet openings arranged in a line roughlyparallel to the axis 13 of the intermediate transfer drum.

The air blower 16 is provided for the purpose of reducing the liquidcontent of the ink that makes up the intermediate image on theintermediate transfer body. A heater 17 is also provided that heats theintermediate transfer body from the back side. These components allowliquids in the intermediate image to dry out, thereby reducing theproblems with the appearance of the finished image that occur duringimage transfer.

The pressure roller 19 is provided for the purpose of bringing therecording medium 18 into contact with the intermediate image on theintermediate transfer body so that the image should be transferred.Pressing the intermediate image and the recording medium 18 with thesupporting member 12 and the pressure roller 19, with the image and themedium sandwiched, efficiently transfers the image. Although the shapeof the recording medium used in this embodiment is a rolled long sheet,the recording medium may be multiple sheets cut into a specified shape.

A cleaning unit 20 is provided so that the intermediate transfer bodyafter transferring the intermediate image to the recording medium 18 canbe repeatedly used to form next images. The apparatus illustrated in theFIGURE has a structure in which a molleton-covered roller that stays wetwith ion-exchanged water is intermittently abutted onto the surface ofthe intermediate transfer body.

A way of recording an image with the apparatus illustrated in the FIGUREis as follows. The intermediate transfer body is rotated around the axis13 in the FIGURE in the direction of the arrow, and the roller-basedapplicator 14 applies a reaction solution to the surface of the surfacemember 11. The intended intermediate image (a mirror image of thefinished image) is formed at the time when the surface of the surfacemember 11, to which the reaction solution has been applied, has reachedthe area where the ink jet device 15, i.e., an ink jet head, dischargesthe ink. The reaction solution that has been applied to the surface ofthe surface member 11 beforehand enhances, as a result of the action ofthe viscosity increasing component existing in the reaction solution,the viscosity of the ink that comes into contact therewith. Thisapparatus therefore allows the user to form a favorable image even on arecording medium that absorbs almost no ink, such as polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) film.

As the intermediate transfer body rotates, the area of the surfacemember 11 on which the intermediate image has been formed moves to theregion where the air blower 16 is disposed. Then a drying treatment isperformed in which the air blower 16 blows air to reduce the volatileliquid content of the ink that makes up the intermediate image. Theheater 17 heats the intermediate image from the back side of theintermediate transfer body, making this drying treatment more efficient.These components allow liquids in the ink image to dry out, therebyreducing the problems with the appearance of the finished image thatoccur during image transfer.

Then at the time when the intermediate image formed on the intermediatetransfer body has reached the point where the pressure roller 19 isdisposed, the intermediate image and the recording medium 18 are pressedwith the supporting member 12 and the pressure roller 19, with the imageand the medium sandwiched, which efficiently transfers the image.

Then the cleaning unit 20 cleans the surface of the surface member 11 sothat the intermediate transfer body after transferring the intermediateimage to the recording medium 18 can be repeatedly used to form nextimages.

EXAMPLES

The following describes an aspect of the invention in more detail byproviding examples and comparative examples. No aspect of the inventionis limited to these examples while within the scope of the invention.The terms “parts” and “%” in the following text are based on mass unlessotherwise specified. The recorded images were assessed with the use ofan apparatus that had the structure illustrated in the FIGURE.

Examples 1 to 13 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5 Preparation of BlackPigment Dispersion 1

The materials listed below were mixed, and the resulting mixture wasloaded into a batch vertical sand mill (AIMEX Co., Ltd.). The mixturewas then dispersed for 5 hours with 200 parts 0.3-mm zirconia beadswhile being cooled with water, yielding a dispersion.

-   -   Pigment [carbon black (product name, Monarch 1100; Cabot), 10        parts    -   Polymer solution P1 (an aqueous solution of a styrene-ethyl        acrylate-acrylic acid copolymer with an acid value of 150, a        weight-average molecular weight of 8,000, and a glass transition        temperature of 95° C.; 20% solids; neutralizing agent, potassium        hydroxide), 15 parts    -   Purified water, 75 parts

The resulting dispersion was processed in a centrifuge so that coarseparticles should be removed. Thus a black pigment dispersion 1 wasobtained with a pigment concentration of approximately 10%.

Preparation of Black Pigment Dispersion 2

A self-dispersion carbon black dispersion (trade name, CAB-O-JET 200;Cabot) was prepared.

Production of a Polymer-Particle Dispersant

A mixture of 18 parts of ethyl methacrylate, 2 parts of2,2′-azobis-(2-methylbutyronitrile), and 2 parts of n-hexadecane wasagitated for 0.5 hours. Then the mixture was added dropwise to 78 partsof a 6% aqueous solution of NIKKOL BC15 (Nikko Chemicals), anemulsifier, and the resulting liquid was agitated for 0.5 hours. Theliquid was then sonicated with an ultrasonic device for 3 hours. After a4-hour polymerization reaction in a nitrogen atmosphere at 80° C., theliquid was allowed to cool to room temperature and then filtered,yielding a polymer-particle dispersion with a concentration ofapproximately 20%. The mass-average molecular weight and the particlediameter of the resulting polymer particles were approximately 210,000and approximately 220 nm, respectively.

Grouping of Solvents into Good Solvents and Poor Solvents

Two grams each of polyether-modified siloxane compounds were addeddropwise to 6 g each of the water-soluble organic solvents listed inTable 1. The solubility on the next day was determined in accordancewith the evaluation criteria below. The results are summarized inTable 1. Haze values measured by a measuring method compliant with JISK7136 with the use of NDH2000 transmittance/haze meter (Nippon DenshokuIndustries) were used as a measure of turbidity.

A: The turbidity (haze value) was less than 5%. The solvent was found tobe a good solvent.

B: The turbidity (haze value) was equal to or more than 5%. The solventwas found to be a poor solvent.

TABLE 1 Water-soluble organic solvents Hexylene Diethylene 1,5-Surfactants glycol Glycerin glycol Ethanol Hexanediol PentanediolSide-chain A B B A A B polyether-modified siloxane BYK349 (BYK Japan KK)Side-chain A B B A A B polyether-modified siloxane BYK348 (BYK Japan KK)Terminal polyether- A B A A A B modified siloxane BYK333 (BYK Japan KK)Preparation of Inks

Inks were prepared with the compositions specified in Tables 2 and 3.More specifically, the inks were prepared by the following method: foreach of the compositions in Tables 2 and 3, the materials needed weremixed, the resultant mixture was thoroughly agitated, and then themixture was pressure-filtered through a 3.0-μm microfilter (Fujifilm).In Tables 2 and 3, the values have a unit of “%” and the “Balance”represents the mass of water added to make the total content of the ink100%.

Intermediate Transfer Body

The surface section of the intermediate transfer body was a 0.5-mm thickpolyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet with a 0.2-mm thick coating of asilicone rubber that had a rubber hardness of 40° (Shin-Etsu Chemical;trade name, KE12). This rubber-coated sheet was fastened withdouble-sided tape to a supporting member, or more specifically acylindrical drum made of an aluminum alloy, to make an intermediatetransfer body.

Reaction Solution

A reaction solution was prepared by mixing the materials in thecomposition below, thoroughly agitating the resulting mixture, and thenpressure-filtering the mixture through a 3.0-μm microfilter (Fujifilm).

-   -   Levulinic acid, 80.0 parts    -   Glycerin, 10.0 parts    -   A surfactant (Acetylenol E100), 0.5 parts    -   Ion-exchanged water, balance        Evaluation of Images on Recorded Articles

A solid image with a 100% duty was formed on the transfer body with theuse of an apparatus that had the structure illustrated in the FIGURE,and the image printed on the recording paper through image transfer wasobserved under a microscope. With the ink jet recording apparatus, animage recorded under the conditions under which approximately 3.0 ng ofone ink droplet was applied to a unit area (one pixel) of 1/1200 inches*1/1200 inches at a resolution of 1200 dpi*1200 dpi was assumed to havean ink print duty of 100%. In this case, the transfer body can be fullycovered with the ink (a solid image can be formed) with substantially nowhite background area derived from the transfer body and a sufficientincrease in dot diameter if each single dot has a spread ofapproximately 21 μm or more.

The image was recorded on Pearl Coat, manufactured by Mitsubishi PaperMills, as recording medium with a drier and a heater provided betweenimage formation and image transfer. The heating temperature was 80° C.The intermediate image was transported on the rotating drum-shapedintermediate transfer body at a speed of 100 mm/sec. The images on therecorded articles obtained in Examples and Comparative Examples wereevaluated in accordance with the criteria below. The results aresummarized in Tables 2 and 3.

AA: No white background area attributable to the intermediate transferbody was observed in a 5 cm×5 cm solid image.

A: A white background area attributable to the intermediate transferbody was observed in 5% or less of the area of a 5 cm×5 cm solid image.

C: A white background area attributable to the intermediate transferbody was observed in more than 5% of the area of a 5 cm×5 cm solidimage.

The composition of each ink and the evaluation of the image obtainedwith the use of the ink are summarized in Tables 2 and 3.

TABLE 2 Exam- Exam- Exam- Exam- Exam- Exam- Exam- Exam- Exam- Exam-Exam- Exam- Exam- ple 1 ple 2 ple 3 ple 4 ple 5 ple 6 ple 7 ple 8 ple 9ple 10 ple 11 ple 12 ple 13 Black 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 2 2 2 pigmentdispersion 1 Black 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 pigment dispersion 2Polymer- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 6 0 0 0 particle dispersion Hexylene 8 8 8 88 6 4 8 8 8 2 6 6 glycol Glycerin 4 4 4 4 4 6 8 4 4 4 10 10 10Diethylene 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 glycol BYK349 3 5 7 9 15 5 5 5 5 59 0 0 BYK348 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 BYK333 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9Water Bal- Bal- Bal- Bal- Bal- Bal- Bal- Bal- Bal- Bal- Bal- Bal- Bal-ance ance ance ance ance ance ance ance ance ance ance ance ance Image AA A AA AA A A A A A A AA A evaluation result

TABLE 3 Compar- Compar- Compar- Compar- Compar- ative ative ative ativeative Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Example 5 Black 2 2 2 2 2pigment dispersion 1 Black 0 0 0 0 0 pigment dispersion 2 Polymer- 0 0 00 0 particle dispersion Hexylene 12 0 0 8 8 glycol Glycerin 0 12 0 4 4Diethylene 0 0 12 0 0 glycol BYK349 5 5 5 0.3 2 Water Balance BalanceBalance Balance Balance Image C C C C C evaluation result

An aspect of the invention provides a transfer image recording method bywhich a high-quality image can be obtained even with a small volume ofink applied. Another aspect of the invention provides an ink used inthis method.

While the present invention has been described with reference toexemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of thefollowing claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent structures andfunctions.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No.2013-095619, filed Apr. 30, 2013, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. An image recording method comprising: applyingink to an intermediate transfer body to form an intermediate image; andtransferring the intermediate image to a recording medium, theintermediate transfer body having a polyalkylsiloxane structure on asurface on which the intermediate image is to be formed, the inkcontaining a pigment, water, a water-soluble organic solvent, and apolyether-modified siloxane compound, the water-soluble organic solventcontaining a good solvent for the polyether-modified siloxane compoundand a poor solvent for the polyether-modified siloxane compound, acontent of the polyether-modified siloxane compound in the ink being 3%by mass or more and 20% by mass or less based on a total mass of theink, a content of the water-soluble organic solvent being 10% by mass ormore and 60% by mass or less based on the total mass of the ink, whereinthe good solvent is a solvent that mixes with the polyether-modifiedsiloxane compound at a mixing ratio by mass of the good solvent to thepolyether-modified siloxane of 1:3 to produce a mixture having aturbidity of less than 5%, wherein the poor solvent is a solvent thatmixes with the polyether-modified siloxane compound at a mixing ratio bymass of the poor solvent to the polyether-modified siloxane of 1:3 toproduce a mixture having a turbidity of 5% or more, and wherein a massratio of a content of the poor solvent based on the total mass of theink to a content of the good solvent based on the total mass of the inkis 0.25 times or more and 19 times or less.
 2. The image recordingmethod according to claim 1, wherein the content of thepolyether-modified siloxane compound in the ink is 9% by mass or moreand 20% by mass or less based on the total mass of the ink.
 3. The imagerecording method according to claim 1, wherein the polyether-modifiedsiloxane compound is a compound of general formula (1):

where R¹ to R⁴ and R⁶ to R¹¹ independently represent hydrogen or amonovalent organic group, R⁵ represents a divalent organic group, x, y,and “a” independently represent an integer of at least 1, and z and bindependently represent an integer of at least
 0. 4. The image recordingmethod according to claim 1, wherein the good solvent is selected fromthe group consisting of hexylene glycol, ethanol, and hexanediol, andwherein the poor solvent is glycerin or 1,5 pentanediol.
 5. An ink foran image recording method including applying ink to an intermediatetransfer body to form an intermediate image, the intermediate transferbody having a polyalkylsiloxane on a surface on which the intermediateimage is to be formed, and transferring the intermediate image to arecording medium, the ink comprising: a pigment; water; a water-solubleorganic solvent; and a polyether-modified siloxane compound, thewater-soluble organic solvent containing a good solvent for thepolyether-modified siloxane compound and a poor solvent for thepolyether-modified siloxane compound, a content of thepolyether-modified siloxane compound in the ink being 3% by mass or moreand 20% by mass or less based on a total mass of the ink, a content ofthe water-soluble organic solvent being 10% by mass or more and 60% bymass or less based on the total mass of the ink, wherein the goodsolvent is a solvent that mixes with the polyether-modified siloxanecompound at a mixing ratio by mass of the good solvent to thepolyether-modified siloxane of 1:3 to produce a mixture having aturbidity of less than 5%, wherein the poor solvent is a solvent thatmixes with the polyether-modified siloxane compound at a mixing ratio bymass of the poor solvent to the polyether-modified siloxane of 1:3 toproduce a mixture having a turbidity of 5% or more, and wherein a massratio of a content of the poor solvent based on the total mass of theink to a content of the good solvent based on the total mass of the inkis 0.25 times or more and 19 times or less.
 6. The ink for the imagerecording method according to claim 5, wherein the content of thepolyether-modified siloxane compound in the ink is 9% by mass or moreand 20% by mass or less based on the total mass of the ink.